It includes TV ads, over a million postcards and organizing events at mega-churches, among other outreach efforts.

The campaign is targeting Democratic senators up for reelection in 2018 in states that Trump carried, since they’re more likely to vote for Gorsuch’s nomination.

While Republicans hold a 52-48 advantage in the Senate, Gorsuch’s nomination will need 60 votes to overcome a pledged Democratic filibuster. That is, unless Republicans change the rules and allow a simple majority to cut off debate on Supreme Court nominations (known as the “nuclear option”).

“Senator,” he replied, “I could speculate based on what I’ve read and what I’ve heard, but I don’t know individuals who are contributing. I don’t know that.”

“He probably knows who he owes the favor to,” The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer toldDemocracy Now.

“The thing about dark money is, often the person who it’s benefiting knows; it’s just the public that’s not allowed to know,” said Mayer, who wrote the must-read bookDark Money.

Once on the divided Supreme Court, Gorsuch could be the deciding vote in decisions effecting the wealthy interests who supported his nomination. But with his backers’ identity hidden, the public will be in the dark about his potential conflicts of interest.

Merrick Garland

Prior to backing Gorsuch, the Judicial Crisis Network spent $7 million in 2016 to (successfully) thwart President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, from even getting a confirmation hearing.

Now Trump has tapped Gorsuch for the seat Garland was nominated to fill, which has been vacant since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia last year.

Curious what the Judicial Crisis Network saw in Gorsuch that it didn’t see in Garland, Whitehouse put the question to Gorsuch.

“You’d have to ask them,” said Gorsuch.

“I can’t because I don’t know who they are,” replied Whitehouse. “It’s just a front group.”

Philip Anschutz

The dark money backing Gorsuch could be funded by a number of people, or perhaps just one.

In 2005, Gorsuch partnered with two of Anschutz’s top associates to purchase a 40-acre property where they built a vacation home together, which they still jointly own.

While serving on the Court of Appeals, Gorsuch recused himself on (nearly all) cases involving Anschutz’s interests, the Timesreported.

But that may change if Gorsuch gets on the Supreme Court. He’s now leaving the door open to ruling on cases involving Anschutz.

The Frozen Trucker

Truck driver Alphonse Maddin came close to freezing to death when his truck malfunctioned on a subzero night in the winter of 2009.

Despite the severe weather, his employer, TransAm Trucking, instructed him to either drive his unsafe vehicle or stay put and wait for assistance. But after three hours staying put, during which time he’d dangerously fallen asleep, Maddin opted to protect himself.

He unhooked the (malfunctioning) trailer from the (operational) truck, which he drove to a gas station a few miles away. He returned within 30 minutes, the truck was repaired, and he completed his delivery.

He was still fired.

“Seven different judges heard my case,” Maddin said at a recent press conference with Democratic senators. “One of those judges found against me. That judge was Neil Gorsuch.”

Making the Short List

At his confirmation hearing, Gorsuch was grilled over this decision, in particular by Senator Al Franken, who called the ruling “absurd.”

But it may have been this very decision that secured Gorsuch’s nomination, says Maddin’s attorney, Robert Fetter.

He notes that Gorsuch was not on Trump’s initial list of Supreme Court candidates. Then Gorsuch issued his ruling in Maddin’s case and found himself on Trump’s second and final list.

Trump was assisted in preparing these lists by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, two right-wing groups which have been funded by Anschutz and the Kochs, among others.

“Certainly, if I were the Chamber of Commerce or other business interest and I saw that decision,” Fetter toldDemocracy Now, “that signals to me that this is my kind of guy.”